Student Sports welcomes back its weekly college football recruiting ratings, the Recruiting Race, ranking the top 10 schools with the second installment this week.

Here are the initial ratings of the top college football recruiting classes for the Class of 2008. Ratings are based upon player evaluations made at NIKE Football Camps and Combines and from game film study, plus verbals, offers, trips and calls.

The STUDENT SPORTS RECRUITING RACE will be updated every week until signing day.

1. NOTRE DAME (1)
The Irish will host at least one official visitor next weekend when they open the season at home versus Georgia Tech, as Frostproof (Fla.) scatback Carlton Thomas has set his trip to South Bend for Labor Day weekend. The 5-6, 160 pounder who ran for 2,283 yards and 25 TDs as a junior, recently narrowed his list to five and it includes Notre Dame, West Virginia, Iowa, Auburn and Georgia. Thomas plans on taking officials to all five schools and making his decision shortly thereafter.

2. UCLA (2)
Even though the Bruins already have one quarterback commit, and a good one in Elite 11 selection Nick Crissman, they may not be done just yet taking signal callers in the '08 class. UCLA recently offered 6-2, 195 pound Kevin Prince out of Encino (Calif.) Crespi, and the precision passer who's had a good summer at various 7-on-7 tournaments recently narrowed his choices to Washington and UCLA. Whomever he ends up choosing, Prince plans to go on his LDS church mission prior to enrolling, so while UCLA would sign two QBs if they get Prince, he really would end up two years behind Crissman.

3. TEXAS (3)
The Longhorns remain a serious player for the top prospect in Utah, 6-1, 215 pound linebacker Lynn Katoa, who lit up the Oakland NIKE Combine back in February with a 70.35 SPARQ Rating and has been sorting through numerous offers ever since. The Salt Lake City Cottonwood standout, who had 103 tackles and 12 sacks as a junior last fall, has already taken an unofficial to Texas but said earlier this week he'll likely return on an official this fall so his father can see Austin as well.

4. MIAMI (4)
Miami fans can get a good look at some future 'Canes this Saturday on ESPN when Miami (Fla.) Booker T. Washington travels north to Summerville (S.C.) for their season opener. Booker T is led by two Miami commits at wide receiver in 5-11, 165 pound Davon Johnson and 5-9, 165 pound Thearon Collier. A top remaining UM priority recruit is definitely the Tornadoes leader and that is 5-11, 175 pound cornerback Brandon Harris, who will matchup Saturday versus one of the nation's top wideouts, 6-4, 195 pound A.J. Green of Summerville, a Georgia commit.

5. USC (5)
Pete Carroll and his staff have built the Trojans into a powerhouse by not only dominating recruiting in the Golden State but by also being able to go out and cherry pick other top prospects from all over the country. One player USC has honed in on in this class is 6-3, 205 pound outside linebacker Jerrell Harris of Gadsden (Ala.) Gadsden City. Harris, who was a Class 6A all-state pick as a junior and earned Baton Rouge All-NIKE Combine honors this spring, has offers from the likes of the Trojans, Auburn, Alabama, LSU, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and many others, and recently said he's planning on taking one of his five official visits to USC in January.

6. FLORIDA STATE (6)
The Noles already have an incredible early haul and have the "ins" on several more Top 100 prospects that could very easily vault this class into the nation's top two or three by Signing Day. Two five-star players that FSU looks very good for are 6-0, 175 pound cornerback T.J. Bryant and 6-4, 185 pound wide receiver Deion Walker. Bryant is from a local school, Tallahassee Lincoln, that had traditionally sent its top athletes to FSU, while Walker is a small school star out of Virginia who plans on visiting FSU, USC, LSU and probably also Penn State at this point.

7. OKLAHOMA (7)
Traditionally Oklahoma and Red River Shootout rival Texas battle over top prospects in the football-rich Lone Star State, but this year a key battle appears to be shaping up in the Beehive State, home to the previously mentioned Top 100 LB Lynn Katoa of Salt Lake City Cottonwood High. The 6-1, 215 pounder has set his first official visit and it will be to Norman on Labor Day weekend as the Sooners open their 2007 schedule with North Texas. Katoa is admittedly not a huge fan of traveling, but says as of now he's also likely to visit Miami and Texas as well.

8. GEORGIA (8)
The Bulldogs already have two terrific pass-catchers committed in the Class of 2008, in A.J. Green out of South Carolina and instate talent Tavarres King and they hope that duo becomes a trio on Friday when the very underrated nationally Joe Adams out of Little Rock (Ark.) Central Arkansas Christian announces his choice. The 5-11, 173 pound Adams, who took home the WR MVP at the Fort Worth NIKE Camp this spring, is not leaning anyone way in particular, but most believe that Georgia, Florida and USC have the three strongest chances of landing his pledge in 48 hours.

9. ALABAMA (9)
The Tide continue to wait in the quarterback realm on prospects in both the Class of 2008 and 2009. 6-3, 185 pound Elite 11 QB Star Jackson out of Lake Worth (Fla.) has been a longtime Tide lean, but is still yet to pull the trigger and now says he'll probably wait on a decision at least until after he checks out West Virginia over Labor Day weekend. Mobile (Ala.) St. Paul's '09 slinger A.J. McCarron is already considering a couple offers but recently shot down any thoughts of an early pledge, saying he wants to most likely wait until after his junior season before he thinks seriously about making a commitment.

10. NEBRASKA (10)
6-1, 180 pound quarterback/athlete DeVonte Christopher opened a lot of eyes with a huge showing at the Las Vegas EA SPORTS Elite 11 QB camp and the North Las Vegas (Nev.) Canyon Springs standout has been a hot prospect ever since. Christopher now has over half a dozen offers including one from Nebraska, and he's scheduled his first official visit for NU when the 'Huskers host USC on September 15th. Christopher would prefer to play QB in college, but NU is currently recruiting him as an athlete.